wow.. I can't believe... she would spend that much on jewelry given... everything. I watched Imelda's documentary on PBS and she is definately a charachter.. I don't believe she is an evil woman.. but IMO she had/has her head in the clouds..

When you tour around the Place Vendome and see the impossibly elaborated necklaces with stones like nuts you wonder...who would buy these? Well, if it were not for the Imeldas of this world and other millionaire women mainly of the middle East, the Cartiers, Van Cleef, Boucheron and Buccellattis and Repossis would have to close shop. Caroline of Monaco get to wear the big parures... on loan!

Quote from gmannews.tv:
‘Imeldific’
“You have to be some kind of light, a star to give them guidelines."

This was former First Lady Imelda Marcos' justification for her fabled extravagance: it was her duty to inspire Filipinos, especially the poor.

Her 3,000 pairs of shoes and gem collection are only some of the lavish possessions that earned her a now infamous "Imeldific" that refers to an ostentatious lifestyle.

The PCGG has classified her jewelry collections into three:.

The Malacañang set

This collection consists of pieces of jewelry found in her private chambers in the Palace after the Marcoses fled into exile in Hawaii. Little information is available about the Malacañang collection, except that it is included in Civil Case No. 141. The government claims that the items are among the pieces of property, which should be forfeited in the name of the Philippine Republic.

The Hawaii set

This collection was seized by United States customs authorities after the Marcos family set foot in Hawaii in 1986. The US government subsequently turned over the jewelry to the Philippine government. Among the items in the set are tiaras that, according to Mrs. Marcos, were previously owned by royal families. The former First Lady said some of the jewels were bought in Russia and were intended for religious images like the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Sto. Niño. An officer of the PCGG shows a diamond-and-south sea-pearl-studded tiara, one of the jewels seized from Imelda Marcos. - AP

PCGG director for legal affairs Jay Miguel said the collection is now conclusively owned by the government pursuant to the settlement agreement executed by and between and former PCGG chair of PCGG David Castro, confirmed by the District Court to Hawaii.

* Note: The Malacañang and Hawaii sets are hidden in vaults at the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas for safekeeping.

The Roumeliotes set

Said to be the most expensive among the three collections, the Roumeliotes set was confiscated by Philippine customs officials from Greek national Demetriou Roumeliotes shortly after the Marcos family fled to Hawaii. He was supposedly attempting to whisk the 60-piece gems from the Philippines and take them to Mrs. Marcos.

The former first lady denied ownership of the jewels but investigations and court cases subsequently showed the 60-piece loot was hers.

The set is currently with the Bureau of Customs because the jewels were seized pursuant to the tariffs and customs code, according to the PCGG. - GMANews.TV

Also included in the proposed Christie's sale (below) are an emerald brooch owned by Catherine the Great of Russia and a diamond ring that once belonged to the former Philippine first lady Imelda Marcos. The Emperor Maximilian Diamond is 39.55 carats and the Catherine the Great Emerald and Diamond Brooch, set with a Colombian emerald is over 60 carats!!!!